In 1960 hybrid cherry seeds created from controlled pollinations between `Van` X `Vic` were harvested at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (Station). These seeds were given cold treatment to satisfy their stratification requirement along with other seed derived from our cherry breeding research. In 1961 the population of `Van` X `Vic` seedlings designated as Breeding Record 59433 were planted. This population included a tree located at a site designated as Darrow 3 Row 14 Tree #83 (D3R14T83). This tree bore fruit in 1966 that we observed to have exceptional firmness and skin that is more shiny (glossy) and blacker than the skin of most other dark fleshed, dark skinned sweet cherry cultivars. It was designated NY 6476 and grafted in 1967 to `Mazzard Seedling` sweet cherry rootstocks utilizing the nursery t-budding grafting technique. These grafts produced trees to be used for more tests of this selection's merit. Grafted trees that resulted were planted in 1969 in a Station field designated as Lucey R1T26 and Lucey R2T27. In 1973 further grafted trees resulted from using Lucey R2T27 buds for propagating wood and planting trees grafted to `Mazzard Seedling` rootstocks in a Station orchard designated as Crittenden 29R2T34,T35,T36. Subsequently, third and fourth clonal generations of trees were created utilizing buds for propagating wood taken from the Cr29R2T34 and Cr29R2T.sub.35 trees for planting in 1982 at Cr31R5T5 and T6 and Lucey 50 R5T20,T21,T22,T23,T24 and T25 in 1987. These trees were observed, evaluated and harvested and also used as source material for propagating wood for distribution to collaborators in the USA, Canada, Belgium, France, Norway, Romania and Spain under restricted, nondistribution test agreements. Some of these trees have had research observations taken about their performance on a regular basis each year since 1966.